File photo of Bangabandhu-1 satellite at Kennedy Space Centre in Florida

'Thaicom Public Limited Company will work for developing coordinated market for the satellite'

The Bangladesh Communication Satellite Company Limited (BCSCL) has appointed a firm from Thailand as the consultant for commercially launching the activities of Bangladesh's first geostationary communications satellite abroad.

BCSCL Chairman Shahjahan Mahmood said they had appointed Thaicom Public Limited Company  for the next two years for expanding the commercial activities of the Bangabandhu 1 satellite, reports UNB.

“Thaicom Public Limited Company will work for developing coordinated market for the satellite,” he said.

Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Minister Mustafa Jabbar previously said Thales Alenia Space, which developed the Bangabandhu 1, will hand over the satellite to Bangladesh this month so its commercial activities can start by the end of the month.

State Minister for Information Tarana Halim had said her ministry has urged all private television channels to use the Bangladeshi satellite for broadcasting their programs.

Bangladesh entered the Space Club of 57 nations with the launch of its first geostationary communications satellite into the orbit by US company SpaceX on May 12.

The satellite was launched using the latest version of SpaceX's upgraded Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket, from the historic Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral.

Two ground stations – one in Rangamati’s Betbunia and the other at Gazipur’s Joydevpur – have been set up to control the satellite.